On the Other Side
by Screamofthebutterfly24
Summary: Michelle visits Tony for the first time in jail, FINISHED AT LAST!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own 24 or its characters, just borrowed them for a little while.**

**Hey everyone, this is an idea that popped into my head a little while ago, and yet I held off on publishing it. This is only the first chapter, and I'm pretty sure I plan to continue so here it goes…..**

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Michelle's stomach was in knots. Not the ordinary kind of knots that were loose, the kind that one could easily to undo, but rather tight and constricted. It had been a month since she had last seen her husband's face. A month since the perfect fairy tale that she had become so accustomed to living in had fallen apart in front of her very eyes, and her, standing there, powerless to stop it. There was no one there now to hold her hand, to whisper gently in her ear to not worry, that everything was going to be alright, no one to kiss goodnight. It was strange to contemplate that the last mental image she had of her husband was him being led away from CTU in chains.

The light October wind rustled the fallen leaves that were scattered around her driveway. The trees that were dotted up and down her neighborhood had taken their usual autumn orange and red hue, and Michelle watched for a moment as the neighborhood children ran up and down the paved streets calling out to each other. So careless and free they were, which made Michelle's heart wish for the umpteenth time that the events from last month had not taken place. Scrambling around in her purse for a moment to find her car keys, she opened her car door slowly and climbed inside.

Thoughts poured through her mind as she drove along the freeway on her way to where Tony was kept in custody. Michelle wondered if it was even possible for things to go back to the way the were after Tony was released. _"After all,"_ thought Michelle, _"It's your fault he's in prison. If only you had stayed at CTU and hadn't gone with the field team to the hotel, none of this would ever have happened." _Michelle's guilty conscience had been her companion in the past weeks, reminding her that of all things that she could of done. She turned off at the exit, becoming more and more increasingly aware of how severe her heart was beating against her ribs, how every bone in her body seemed to shake hysterically, how her hands were having trouble getting a grip on the steering wheel of the car.

Michelle pulled into the jail parking lot. It had an increasing depressing air, the bricks that held the building up were colorless, and the whole structure loomed over her dauntingly. Michelle ambled through the gates and walked through the doors of the building itself. The main lobby awaited her, bearing a very strong resemblance to the atmosphere outside. She walked up to a burly security guard, uncomfortable of the way her footsteps echoed throughout the room.

"Hi, I'm here to see Tony Almeida." Michelle said, trying to hide the anxiousness in her voice. The security guards voice was hoarse as he asked with a disapproving tone, "You his wife, Ms. Dessler?" Michelle looked at him. He was wrinkled and his mouth was etched in a permanent frown. "Yes I am." She replied. The guard nodded. "Follow me."

The security guard led her into an elongated hallway. "Check your bag over here." He motioned to a corner where more security personnel stood. Michelle handed them her purse, and watched as they started withdrawing things haphazardly. Her thoughts started to stray off once again to the prospect of seeing Tony. "You're through." Michelle snapped out of her reverie to find her purse being flung forcefully back into her hands. "Thanks." She said. The heavily built security guard throatily gestured her on back through another hallway.

The guard opened a door to the side and motioned her in. "He's in booth number 15 Ms. Dessler." He said loudly over the talking voices of other visitors and inmates. Michelle heard her voice say thank you as if it were coming from some where far off. The guard exited and she was left on her own, exhilaration and anxiety flowing through her veins.

Booths were lined along the grey walls, each equipped with a telephone, so that the guests and prisoners could communicate with each other through the sheet of glass that separated them. Michelle walked along, looking at the despondent faces passing her. There were women and men, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, all clutching their phones, lifelines to confined criminals inside. 10 more booths to go….._Tony shouldn't be here."_ Michelle thought, _He didn't do anything wrong."_ 5 more to go….Michelle realized that in a few seconds she would be able to hear his voice again. 4…..3…. Her pace quickened, heels clacking on the cement flooring. 2….. 1….Michelle looked up at the peeling numbers that read 15, slowly she turned facing the glass, hands shaking, heart racing, and then she caught her breath.

**Next chapter their reconciliation…..**


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey everyone! I am so **sorry** that this took so long! Thank you wonders of technology! But oh well.. Oh yes, and thank you Shea for all the help on this! I hope this was worth the wait so with out further ado...The second chapter…_

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"Tony." Michelle whispered to herself. There he sat behind the transparent glass in a metal chair, dressed in a blue jumpsuit, his hair unkempt, spilling messily over his forehead. Michelle realized that he had changed. His face had grown more solemn, and more wrinkle lines had appeared on his forehead.

She felt terrified as her eyes looked up and met his, millions of emotions flooding through her body. Joy…Sadness….Fear…. Hope...Though the face had changed, the eyes had not. They were the same as when she last saw them.

She sat down on the chair, oblivious to how the uncomfortable back was digging into her spine. Her whole body was trembling now, whether it was out of sheer delight, despondency, concern, or anger with herself, Michelle knew not. She picked up the phone, feeling the cool plastic in the palms of her hands. Slowly she lifted it to her ear, watching closely as Tony did the same with his.

She heard the crackle of the phone line. Michelle struggled to find her voice and yet couldn't. Itseemed that words would just get in the way.All the people in the other booths seemed to fade; it was just her, and him, on the other side. Tony gave her a familiar half smile and all the pain, tears and guilt that had followed her the past couple weeks _surged, then completely_ evaporated. Michelle smiled, still at a loss.

"Hey." She let the familiarity of the voice wash over. It sounded raspy and a bit faint from the bad phone connection, and yet it was his.

"Hey." Michelle said back, not breaking eye contact with Tony. She felt as if she wanted to cry and laugh, but was unsure what to do first. "How are you?" He said, looking her over.

Michelle sighed grinning slightly, "I've been better." Tony smiled, this time fully and Michelle watched in amazement as his face returned to the way it had before, when it seemed nothing in the world could harm them. Michelle wistfully yearned for the two inch plexi-glass that was separating them would disappear. She wanted to be held by him, and that kind of longing was the hardest to bear.

"Listen Michelle, Jack's doing everything he can to get me out of here, he's even going to try and speak to President Palmer." Tony said softly into his phone, though his eyes never left Michelle's face.

"I know, it's just that-" Michelle paused, as her frequent companion, guilt, started to engulf her again. "It's just that if it weren't for me, you wouldn't be here." She finished, looking down at her lap, somewhat afraid of the conversation that would follow.

"Michelle, listen to me." Tony said forcefully. "This isn't you're fault, I did what I thought was best. And I'd do it again." Michelle eyes strayed off of her lap, and soon found his face once more.

"Tony, if I hadn't gone with the field team into the hotel-" Michelle replied, not wanting to recollect the events of that day. Tony hurriedly cut her off.

"If you hadn't gone into the hotel, many more lives would have been lost." He said simply. Michelle sighed poignantly and looked to the booth next to her. A mother sat, clenching her phone, with salty tears surging down her cheeks.

"Michelle." She turned back to her own booth and the occupant inside. Tony was gazing at her with a look she had never seen before on his face. "I love you." Was all he said.

Michelle swallowed and nodded. She lifted her hand up to the glass and gently put her fingers on it, feeling the coldness run up and down her fingers. Tony stood up from the hard metal chair and made his way over to her. Tenderly, he slowly lifted his hands and put them up to Michelle's.

Michelle closed her eyes slightly and almost felt his warm touch against hers again. She looked at their to hands together and quietly said into the phone "I love you too."


End file.
